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Poison Ivy on Cedar Tree

Jmellc

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Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
277
Location
Durham, NC
This tree fell over last year. I’m starting soon to remove the poison ivy. Can I make the tree safe to cut up and use for crafts or is the poison too much a part of it?
 

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Hank11

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Aug 19, 2019
Messages
1,158
Location
Tennessee
I would not worry about residual poison ivy sap.
Pull the vines off, cut in half and then you have a couple of posts to put in the ground.
 

retDAC

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Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
1,250
Location
near Huntsville, Ala.
As long as you let the wood dry thoroughly at least on the outside, the urushiol will evaporate/oxidize and no threat. I don't see how it would saturate the wood since I have let gloves dry after grabbing/clearing vines and I don't get a rash handling the gloves later. They do have to be completely dry. I don't see the wood getting penetrated.
 

RaisedByWolves

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Feb 4, 2023
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Location
SE PA.
As long as you let the wood dry thoroughly at least on the outside, the urushiol will evaporate/oxidize and no threat. I don't see how it would saturate the wood since I have let gloves dry after grabbing/clearing vines and I don't get a rash handling the gloves later. They do have to be completely dry. I don't see the wood getting penetrated.
This.

PI is not nuclear waste.

Pull the vine off (yeah, carefully) and let the wood sit for a month and your gtg.

I rip down several large vines every year and don’t really even think that much about it.
 

Viper98912

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Joined
Oct 20, 2012
Messages
1,132
Location
GA
Everything above seems logical. But I would regret it forever if it was little craft toys for my children or grandchildren and they suddenly got it all over themselves. So I guess it depends on what crafts you're talking about
 

CombatNinja

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Joined
Aug 24, 2013
Messages
1,456
The business end of poison ivy is the oily leaves. I don't see any leaves in your picture?
 
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johninct

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Dec 21, 2010
Messages
2,598
I deal with trees exactly like yours all of the time. I rip the vines off and stack them up for fence posts.
 

Jackfre

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Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Messages
4,412
Location
N CA
Dress for success. The stone wall behind our MA property was completely overgrown with PI. The kids weere small and it had to come out. I pulled it out at the root and multiple loads to the dump which took it. Denim shirt buttoned up, long sleeve tee, taped wrists to gloves. When finished for the day I undressed like I was coming out the reactor on the nuke shutdowns I worked. I set up step-off pads shedding clothing as I went and moving to a clean spot. In your case on this piece of wood an abundance of caution might include letting it sit and cook for a while and then taking a draw knife to strip the bark being careful with it.
 

cgrutt

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Joined
Mar 4, 2016
Messages
8,359
Bag and dispose of vines if possible but never burn them the oil can cause respiratory issues within the smoke. After you let log dry You can wash with some dawn soap or similar and a scrub brush to remove any residual oil as an extra precaution. Agree with post above as far as clothing. Bag that too after your done and throw it all in laundry. I recently removed a bunch of it on side of cabin I was working on and didn't have any problems. I'm highly allergic to it but if you keep oil off your skin (or wash it immediately after exposure) it does not cause rash.
 

Jeff Ivers

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Joined
Apr 9, 2010
Messages
2,566
Location
Oklahoma
I am extremely allergic to poison ivy. We purchased land and built a house on the land commencing in 1989. There was lots of poison ivy on the property, including a vine the size of a man's forearm hanging in an old hackberry. My wife and kids, who were not bothered, pulled or cut down poison ivy, including the arm sized vine. We dumped the material in a ditch and later covered it with dirt. I have cut down and cut up and burned many trees that had poison ivy in them without getting a case. As long as the vines are completely removed from the tree you will be fine. If, however, you cut into a vine that is still attached to the tree, you can get poison ivy from that.
 
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